Litigation

At the Colorado Court of Appeals, any party can ask for the chance to present their case before the court at oral argument. But should you? While ultimately the decision whether oral argument is granted is up to the court, the initial decision of whether to ask in the first place brings up an even bigger topic. Does oral argument really ever makes a difference in the case?

Waiving an argument on appeal is usually a bad thing. Here are seven things NOT to do if you want to set your case up for success on appeal. We’ve also included some practice tips to help avoid these pitfalls in future cases.

Recovered memory therapy continues to be a controversial topic, with experts debating about whether it is valid. As a legal matter, this controversy has slowly spilled over into an increased risk of liability for the therapist who chooses to use the technique. More and more states are holding that parents of children who recover memories of sexual abuse can sue the child’s therapist because the therapist has helped to create false allegations against them. Michigan is the latest jurisdiction to affirm the right of a child’s parent to sue the child’s therapist.

The Colorado Supreme Court has been hard at work, handing down multiple changes to the Colorado Appellate Rules. Some changes were significant. Others were minor. The most notable change to the Colorado Appellate Rules was to Rule 3.4: Appeals from Proceedings in Dependency or Neglect. For cases filed after July 1, 2016, appeals from these proceedings will get a major overhaul. Here are some of the significant changes in the rules.

The Colorado Supreme Court clarifies that the Twombly/Iqbal pleading standard applies in Colorado. This post analyzes the case, Warne v. Hall, 2016 CO 50, and how the bar for surviving a motion to dismiss has risen.

A multi-chapter resource about things to consider before filing a lawsuit: doing a cost-benefit analysis, identifying and then weighing the pros and cons, and more.

Should I file an appeal? Many considerations come into play when making this decision, and here are some thoughts that may steer you in the right direction:

Imagine you see the notice come in from the court on your latest case: Defendants’ motion for summary judgment has been granted and your client’s case is dismissed with prejudice. Your client has just lost the entire case—a case that you had litigated well. After dealing with the disappointment and post-judgment motions, you really feel it would be best for you to call it quits.

An appeal can be a procedural maze—and if you make the wrong turn, occasionally there is no way out. In one case, the appellant lost her way in confusion over the magistrate rules.

When faced with the prospect of an appeal, you may choose to see the case through the appeal, or hand the case off to appellate counsel. Download this free overview of appellate practice in Colorado state courts to help you make the best decision.